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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704938">One Small Step for a Man, One Giant Leap for Cliff Booth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pineapplequeen13/pseuds/pineapplequeen13'>pineapplequeen13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Boys Kissing, Cliff is a Supportive Friend, M/M, Pining, Rick is a mess, Rick is in Denial, Tarantino-Typical Language, as usual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:01:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pineapplequeen13/pseuds/pineapplequeen13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Its the night before Rick gets married. The boys watch the moon landing. Rick has second thoughts. Cliff is the supportive friend he needs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cliff Booth/Rick Dalton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>One Small Step for a Man, One Giant Leap for Cliff Booth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I had a thought that Apollo 11 successfully landed on the moon on July 20th of '69, and it would have been when Rick and Cliff were abroad making movies. That idea developed into this. Since there was no date given for Rick's wedding in canon, I took some creative liberties.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the night of July 20th, 1969, Rick Dalton was celebrating his last night as a bachelor with his more-than-a-brother-less-than-a-wife stuntman in the only way they could both think of to properly end an era: getting shitfaced. After Rick wished Francesca a good night and saw her to her door, he and Cliff found the nearest place to do just that, which ended up being some little dive bar, and ordered their usuals: a whiskey sour and a bloody mary, respectively.</p><p>All the TVs and radios around the world were tuned in to watch the first ever man on the Moon--due to land in just about 30 minutes--the television in the humble little establishment included. But neither Rick nor Cliff were very focused on that at the moment. Rick was in his own head, as usual, still weighing the pros and cons of what he was getting himself into by marrying a woman he felt like he barely knew. On one hand, she had been sweet enough, she's beautiful, she had been interested in him--which is always a plus--and she would do wonders for his image back in Hollywood. He was beginning to suspect people of assuming that he was "s-some kind of fairy or-o-or somethin'," as he phrased it to Cliff, because, well, he was a bachelor. And he was spending all of his time with his male stunt double, even when they weren't working. Truth be told, Rick was starting to think that maybe there was some truth to that notion. Not that he couldn't get it up for women or anything like that, but there were more than a few times that he and Cliff had gotten a bit too close or a bit too handsy, three sheets to the wind almost every time, and he can't bring hinself to say he didn't like it.</p><p>Ah, and there was the other hand. <em>Cliff</em>. Rick knew he wouldn't be able to keep Cliff on with the new wife. He liked to tell himself it was because he couldn't afford both of them, not because this was some sort of break-up or something. He didn't usually let himself think much further than that on the topic. Outwardly, he grimaced. It was much too early and he was much too sober to be thinking about this shit right now. He took a large gulp of the whiskey sour in front of him and savoured the burn down his throat. He had to tell Cliff. He was hoping he would have the balls to do it tonight.</p><p>Cliff sat across from him, unknowing of Rick's thoughts, also mentally miles away from their conversation at hand, and looking happy for his friend with his smirk of a smile and his own drink. When Rick had broken the news to him that he was getting married, Cliff really had wanted to be happy for him. But every smile had a little bit of strain, and--<em>my god, Clifford Booth are you jealous?</em> He shook that thought. Not going there tonight.</p><p>Instead he looked over at Rick and could practically see the gears turning in his head and the smoke coming out of his ears. Oh boy. He knew when Rick was overthinking and he knew what would happen if he didn't put a stop to that <em>right now</em>.</p><p>"Penny for your thoughts, partner?"</p><p>Rick's eyes seemed to snap over to his; his brain was still a few seconds behind after being pulled from his runaway train of thoughts. "O-oh, nah, nah, i-its nothin'. Just thinkin' 'bout my-my last night as an unmarried man. How weird that sounds." He lets out a chuckle.</p><p>Oh good. So they were on the same page then. "Yeah, you're one lucky sonuvabitch. Francesca's a pretty thing." It's a good thing Rick doesn't notice Cliff's face falter when he talks about her.</p><p>Rick laughs breathily, "Y-yeah, s-she sure is. Don't know wh-why she's i-interested in me of all people."</p><p>"Because you're Rick fuckin' Dalton, that's why." The answer was just a bit too immediate. A bit too, 'Well, who in their right mind <em>wouldn't</em> love you?' A bit too telling. Cliff smiled at Rick anyway.</p><p>Rick's smile finally reaches his eyes with that. Those bright blue eyes, squinted with mirth because of Cliff Booth. Cliff fuckin' Booth could pull a more genuine smile from Rick fuckin' Dalton than his own soon-to-be wife. What the fuck.</p><p>Cliff had to pry his eyes off of that pretty face before he did something stupid. So, he turned to look at the newscaster excitedly announcing all of the details of the trip through the final frontier.</p><p>"Should be about 15 minutes or so now, is what they're saying."</p><p>Rick's eyebrows scrunched in as he tried to figure out what the hell Cliff was talking about before following his gaze to the television.</p><p>"Wha- Oh. Oh y-yeah. Damn, here I am worrying 'bout my petty l-little acting career an-and meanwhile those fuckers are up there makin' <em>real</em> history."</p><p>Cliff's gaze shifted back to Rick <em>(stupid, why would you look at his dumb, pretty face again)</em> and his eyebrows scrunched together, half in annoyance that this guy still couldn't get it through his head that he was a fantastic actor and Cliff would watch him all day, and half in concern for his friend's shoddy self-image.</p><p>"Hey, now. No talk like that tonight. Not when you've got three new movies under your belt and a gorgeous woman who'll be waiting up there on the altar for you tomorrow." Just saying that, <em>waiting up at the altar for you,</em> sounds wrong in Cliff's head, although he's not sure whether it's wrong for Rick or wrong for him.</p><p>"Yeah, I-I guess you're right"</p><p>"Tell me, Rick, when have I not been right?"</p><p>Rick starts to open his mouth to retort.</p><p>"Uh, actually, don't tell me." Shared laughter rings out in the booth before their attention is directed back at the television screen as the Eagle comes down for its final descent and landing. The whole bar goes quiet, waiting, hoping for a success, until the words "the Eagle has landed" penetrate the silence and a cheer erupts in the place. The next few minutes are spent watching Armstrong and Aldrin galavant across the lunar surface and downing shots in celebration.</p><p>"That's one small step for a man, and one giant leap for mankind."</p><p>---</p><p>Later, back at Rick's apartment, after the two stumbled in under the support of each other, they collapsed onto the couches to relax. Drink and conversation continued to flow.</p><p>"Shit, man, I still c-can't believe I'm getting m-married tomorrow." The second thoughts come whirring back into Rick's brain for the umpteenth time that night. He again pushes them away with more alcohol spilling down his throat. But not before one can slip past his lips, quietly, because he isn't sure whether he wants Cliff to hear. </p><p>"Francesca de-deserves better than me." Cliff's head whips around at that, concerned, and <em>oh fuck, he did hear that.</em></p><p>And, damn it, the tears are starting now. God damn it why the fuck is he crying on the night before his wedding? What is he, some blushing bride? He hates this. Hates himself. How the fuck is he going to live without Cliff picking up after him when he can't even think about marriage without sobbing like a child? When he can't even properly love this woman because he's so codependent on another man? Jesus Christ he's such a loser. Such a <em>has-been-</em></p><p>All of Rick's thoughts stop there, just before he's able to chuck his stupid fucking whiskey glass at the stupid fucking swank Italian wall, when Cliff wraps an arm around his shoulder and squeezes, and Rick's head drops into his shoulder as he cries. Cliff rides it out with him, one strong arm wrapped around his buddy, and lets him get it all out.</p><p>"Woah there, partner..."  Cliff takes a pause there both to gather his thoughts and for Rick to quiet himself down to listen. "Rick, you aren't just one of the finest actors I've ever met, you're also one of the finest men I've ever met. If... Shit, if Francesca doesn't think you're worth it, then she's dead fuckin' wrong."</p><p>Rick nods, tears still falling but calmed down some. "Th-thank you, Cl-Cliff. Yo-you're a real goo-good friend."</p><p><em>Friend</em>. That shouldn't hurt Cliff, but it does. He smiles anyway. "I try."</p><p>They spend a few minutes like that before Rick finally speaks up. "I-I sho-should probably get to bed... Big day to-tomorrow." Cliff nods and squeezes his shoulder a little before letting him up.</p><p>Rick composes himself, brushing away the final stray tears and attempts to stand up off the couch, pulling out of Cliff's solid embrace regretfully. He gets about three-quarters of the way to standing before the drinks from before catch back up to him and his balance is gone. Cliff sees him falling before Rick can even process what happened and catches him. They stand face to face, closer than a man about to be married should be to his best bud, but neither makes a move to pull away. Instead, they study each other's eyes intently. </p><p>Now, a better man would have pat his friend on the shoulder and seen him off to bed. And a better man wouldn't be sitting there deliberating pinning his friend to the wall and ruining his marriage before it's even began. But this was not a better man. This was Cliff Booth. And maybe he was reading the room wrong, but that look that Rick was sending his way sure didn't look like a look you give a friend. So he weighed his options and made a decision.</p><p>
  <em>This is the last chance I'll get.</em>
</p><p>And with that thought, Cliff closes the distance between him and Rick, in what might be the biggest leap he's ever taken.</p><p>And then he pulls back.</p><p>And then he waits.</p><p>He waits like the audience in the bar to find out whether he's landed a success or a failure.</p><p>Never has a pause felt longer as Rick stares him down, and Cliff can see the stages of emotions in Rick's eyes as he processes what just happened. He touches his own lips and looks at Cliff's.</p><p><em>Shit</em>.</p><p>Rick dives back in for a more ferocious kiss and tangles a hand into Cliff's hair, devouring him while he still can. Before the sun rises the next day.</p><p>Cliff reciprocates in full, sighing in relief.</p><p><em>Ladies and gentlemen, the Eagle has landed</em>.</p><p>Although they haven't made it back to Earth yet, Cliff allows himself to enjoy the incredible high of finally landing on the Moon. He can worry about getting back later, and so can Rick, apparently, who is glued to him and giving back as good as he gets. Better not to think about the hard parts right now.</p><p>No, right now, he would lead his best-buddy-turned-lover by the hand into the bedroom, and he would give him a proper send-off.</p><p>The next day, Rick would finally tell him that it was the end of the trail, and Cliff would come crashing back to Earth--wearing a smile for his best friend and sipping his coffee when he couldn't bear to keep smiling any longer.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first fic for this fandom so please let me know how I did! I hope I wrote these two in character.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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